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Sedan
A sedan, also called saloon, is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for engine, passenger and cargo. The modern implementation of sedans was introduced in 1912 and the body style has remained popular up to the present. The name "sedan" originates from the sedan chair, an enclosed box which was carried by porters to transport one person. Car manufacturers in the United States up until the 1960s have marketed several models as variations of the sedan style, such as close-coupled sedan, club sedan, convertible sedan, fastback sedan, hardtop sedan, notchback sedan and sedanet/sedanette. Origin The current definition of a sedan is a car with a closed body (i.e. a fixed metal roof) with the engine, passengers and cargo in separate compartments. This broad definition does not differentiate sedans from various other car body styles, but in practice the typical characteristics of sedans are: *A B-pillar (between the front and rear windows) that supports the roof *Two rows of seats *A three-box design with the engine at the front and the cargo area at the rear *A less steeply sloping roofline than a coupé, which results in increased headroom for rear passenger and a less sporting appearance. It is sometimes suggested that sedans must have four doors (to provide a simple distinction between sedans and two-door coupés). However, in reality, a sedan can have two or four doors. In addition, terms such as sedan and coupé have been more loosely interpreted by car manufacturers since 2010. Prior to the invention of the automobile, the "sedan chair" (also known as "litter") was an enclosed box used to transport one person, which was carried by porters at the front and rear using horizontal poles. This style of transport dates back to ancient Egypt, India and China. The name sedan chair originated in the 1630s, from either the southern Italian dialect derivative of Italian word sedia ("chair") or the latin word sedere ("to sit"). All the names for these derived from the root "sed-" from the Latin "sella" - the traditional name for a carried chair. Usage The first recorded use of the term for automobiles was in 1912, when it was described as a closed automobile (i.e. with sides and roof) seating four or more. Prior to this, the 1899 Renault Voiturette Type B added doors and a roof to the Voiturette Type A body. This resulted in the first vehicle considered to be a sedan, although it was a two-door vehicle where the rear passengers sat outside the cabin. Other early cars which used a body style that would later be known as sedan are the 1905 Rational four-door limousine, 1907 Renault four-door limousine and 1910 Stella two-door saloon. At the time, the names saloon and limousine were used for cars both with and without fixed roofs. The earliest usage of the name which is accordance with modern definition of a sedan (i.e. a fixed roof car seating at least 4 people) was the 1911 Speedwell Sedan, which was manufactured in the United States. In American English and American Spanish, the term sedan is used (accented as "sedán" in Spanish). In British English (or proper English), a car of this configuration is called a saloon. Hatchback sedans are known simply as hatchbacks (not hatchback saloons); long-wheelbase luxury saloons may be referred to as limousines. The term "super saloon" is commonly used to describe a high-performance saloon car, though the term "sports saloon" has been used in the past. The British term saloon is sometimes used by British car manufacturers in the United States. For example, the Rolls-Royce Park Ward was sold as a saloon in the United States. In Australia and New Zealand the term "sedan" is predominantly used, with "saloon" only finding occasional usage, particularly in the field of motor racing. In other languages, sedans are known as berline (French), berlina (European Spanish, European Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian); although these terms also may include hatchbacks. These terms, besides sedan, derive from types of horse-drawn carriages. In German, the term limousine is used for sedans, and "Stretch-Limousine" for limousines. Examples These are some examples of saloons that have appeared in the Gran Turismo series, the full list can be viewed at Category:Sedans: *Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V '98 *Toyota ALTEZZA RS200 '98 *Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR '99 *Chrysler 300C '05 *Vauxhall Vectra 3.2 V6 '03 Category:Cars by type Category:Definitions